A tea bag device is described which is for use with a beverage container having a lid. Method of forming a beverage container containing the tea bag device and for steeping tea are also provided. The tea bag device includes (a) a tea bag enclosing a volume of tea and (b) a snap-fit attachment comprising male and female snap portions. The snap-fit attachment is configured so that when the male and female portions are reversibly engaged with each other, and the snap-fit attachment is engaged with the tea bag and the lid the tea bag is biased against an undersurface of the lid.

A modular brewing system is described for providing hot water and managing power to multiple brew tower modules using a single centralized boiler and power management module so as to limit the number of high-power circuits required in a coffeehouse or store. The boiler and power management module manages power of components of the centralized boiler assembly and any brew tower modules connected thereto, including the boiler heaters, the grinder motors, and the brew chamber heaters.

A machine for preparing hot beverages includes: a casing housing a water pump, heating means of the water, and an electronic control card able to command actuation of the pump and the water heating means; a body, connected to the casing, able to house a capsule containing a preparation for the beverage; in which the control card is connected to at least an inclination sensor able to measure an inclination of the casing of the machine with respect to a vertical, and is able to: receive from the inclination sensor a signal representing a measured inclination value of the casing; comparing the measured value with a predetermined value; actuating the pump when the measured value is greater than the predetermined value; stopping the pump when the measured value is smaller than or equal to the predetermined value.

The invention relates to a device (1) for preparing a beverage, more particularly, for a vehicle comprising: —a brewing unit (2) for receiving a dose (3) of beverage ingredients, —a pressure pump (4) for supplying pressurized liquid to the brewing unit, —an electronic control unit (5) for selectively controlling the activation of the pressure pump, wherein the electronic control unit (5) is arranged to control the activation and deactivation of the pressure pump (4), by providing output to the pressure pump as response to input indicative of a determined inclination angle relative to horizontal and/or to a detected spatial displacement or acceleration; said input being received from inclination angle and/or displacement sensing means (6) which are part of and/or foreign to the device.

A milk frother/heater for a milk supply circuit in a beverage vending machine has a hollow body and integrally has a first appendage defining a milk inlet to receive smooth milk or a milk-air mixture, a second appendage defining a steam inlet to receive steam, and a third appendage defining a milk outlet to deliver milk. The body internally defines a mixing chamber, and the milk inlet, the steam inlet and the milk outlet internally define a milk inlet passage, a steam inlet passage, and a milk outlet passage, respectively, fluidly communicating with the mixing chamber. The mixing chamber has an axis extending from a first closed axial end to a second axial end where the steam inlet passage and the milk outlet passage converge. The milk inlet passage converges at the second axial end or merges with the steam inlet passage upstream from the mixing chamber.

A beverage service system, assembly, and method enable a consumer to portably consume a beverage output from a single-service beverage media container. The beverage service system incorporates a lid formation and a liquid container. The lid formation is configured to receive and retain a single-service beverage media container, and provides a primary beverage outlet, a container-receiving aperture, and a container retention mechanism. The single-service beverage media container is received in the container-receiving aperture and retained by the container retention mechanism. The lid formation is attached to the primary liquid container thereby forming a lid-container combination. A liquid such as hot water may be directed through the single-service beverage media container as received and retained by the lid formation for outputting beverage therefrom into the liquid container. The beverage, as outlet from the lid formation and collected in the liquid container, may then be consumed via the primary beverage outlet.

A method for making and dispensing coffee-based beverages in machines includes increasing the water temperature inside a boiler and assembly to achieve preheating with to adjust the delivered thermal power. The method includes three dispensing steps. Preheated water at a selected temperature achieves a pre-infusion in a preset time or water volume without pressure in the hydraulic pump, wherein the coffee powder is only wet. Next, the coffee powder is infused by means of the use of a logic unit that manages the volume of dispensed water by a volumetric meter and at a preset, constant pressure as a function of the ground coffee and dispensed product weight. An amount by volume of water is dispensed and calculated to achieve a selected and preset brew ratio. Finally, post-infusion is achieved in which the hydraulic pump is deactivated for a time needed to reach by weight the programmed dose of dispensed product.

A brewing device may have several different configurations to make various beverages. Under computer control, the device may be able to sequence various ingredients using direct or recirculating percolation for immediate consumption, such as coffee and tea, or for fermenting for later consumption, such as beer, kombutcha, or other consumable products. The device may be capable of a sequenced percolation, such as coffee infusion of a first type of coffee, then a second type of coffee, followed by vanilla, and followed by spices. The device may be capable of sequential, cascading, or parallel percolation directly or using recirculating paths. Ingredients may be pre-packaged or may be placed into various removable and cleanable containers. The device may further be capable of infusion by steeping ingredients in a dispensing device.

A motorized brewing unit for preparing beverages from a powdered product has a dispensing assembly having a first assembly part provided with a receptacle adapted to receive the powdered product, and a second assembly part, relative to which the first assembly part is movable between an open position and a closed position in which the first assembly part and the second assembly part are coupled to each other to define a brewing chamber therebetween. The motorized brewing unit has an electric motor that controls movement of the first assembly part between the open position and the closed position and a readout device that provides a digital image of the powdered product. The readout device has an optical sensor. The receptacle faces the optical sensor when the first assembly part is in a detection position, intermediate between the open position and the closed position.

A capsule for preparing a beverage, for example coffee, includes a hollow element for containing a product from which the beverage is made, for example ground coffee. The hollow element is provided with a side wall, a top surface, a bottom surface and a flange. The flange includes a deformable element which is deformed by a deforming member arranged on the capsule holder. A device for using the capsule and a method for extracting a beverage are also provided.